What Are Brain Zaps? (SSRI Side Effects)

Many prescription medications can cause withdrawal symptoms when a person abruptly stops using them. For some antidepressant users, withdrawal can include a phenomenon called brain zaps.

Contact Time Wellness today to learn more about which depression medication is right for you. 

What Are Brain Zaps?

Brain zaps are a type of withdrawal symptom that some people develop when they stop using certain antidepressants.

This side effect is especially common with long-term use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). 

The zaps feel like brief electrical shocks in a person’s brain. They can occur at any time, though it appears that they may be more likely to happen after lateral (side-to-side) eye movements. Other terms for this type of symptom include brain shocks and brain flips.

Brain zaps aren’t dangerous, but they can be both unpleasant and disruptive. As with other antidepressant withdrawal symptoms, they usually subside within a few weeks after a person stops using the medications. However, some people have persistent symptoms that can last for several months. 

Are Brain Zaps Common?

An August 2025 survey in the journal Psychiatry Research found that 80% of participants experienced some type of withdrawal symptoms when ending their antidepressant use, with 28% reporting brain zaps.

This survey, which included responses from 497 adult patients of the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), also revealed that:

• 14.6% of respondents said they had severe withdrawal symptoms
• 34.2% said they had moderate symptoms and 30.4% reported mild symptoms
• In the majority of cases (58.5%), withdrawal symptoms lasted four weeks or less
• Among patients who had used antidepressants for more than two years, 30.4% had withdrawal symptoms that lasted for more than three months

What Causes Brain Zaps?

A December 2018 article in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders (PCC) described brain zaps as “a poorly understood symptom of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.” 

Though much work remains to be done in this area, experts have identified certain factors that can increase a person’s risk of brain zaps and other antidepressant withdrawal symptoms.

One such factor is which medication a person has been taking:

• The PCC article named paroxetine (Paxil) and venlafaxine (Effexor) as the two meds that were most frequently cited by individuals who had brain zaps. Paroxetine is an SSRI and venlafaxine is an SNRI.
• In addition to paroxetine and venlafaxine, the Cleveland Clinic also included another SSRI, fluvoxamine (Luvox) and another SNRI, desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), on a list of antidepressants that are most likely to cause withdrawal symptoms.

Other factors that can raise a person’s risk of withdrawal include:

• Using an antidepressant for long time
• Taking large doses of antidepressants
• Having previously experienced withdrawal symptoms
• Abruptly ceasing antidepressant use

Other Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms

In addition to brain zaps, antidepressant discontinuation symptom (which is the clinical term for antidepressant withdrawal) has been linked with several other physical and psychological symptoms.

Antidepressant withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Dizziness/lightheadedness
• Unsteadiness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nausea
• Tingling or “pins and needles” feeling in hands and feet
• Agitation and irritability
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Vivid nightmares

Though relatively rare, antidepressant withdrawal can sometimes include manic episodes and suicidal ideation.

Important note: If you have been having thoughts of suicide due to antidepressant withdrawal or for any other reason, or you know someone who has, please know that help is available.

Resources include:

• You can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline online or by calling or texting 988 from any phone in the U.S. 
• This free service, which is available 24/7, is staffed by trained professionals who can talk to you about what you’re going through and refer you to appropriate resources in your area. 
• In addition to offering assistance in both English and Spanish, the Lifeline also provides support for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

Tips for Minimizing Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms

The best way to minimized brain zaps and other antidepressant withdrawal symptoms is to consult with your doctor before you stop using the medication.

Your doctor can set up a tapering schedule during medication management to slowly lower your antidepressant use over an extended period. This will give your body time to gradually adjust to reduced amounts of antidepressants. Following a tapering schedule doesn’t guarantee that you won’t have withdrawal symptoms, but it may reduce their severity and duration.

Other tips for managing brain zaps and other withdrawal symptoms include:

• Follow a nutritious diet plan
• Stay hydrated
• Continue to exercise on a regular basis
• Don’t skimp on sleep
• Practice breathing exercises and other self-soothing techniques
• Avoid alcohol and other mind-altering substances
• Talk to a close friend or trusted loved one about what you’re going through

Alternatives to SSRIs & SNRIs

Though they have earned widespread acclaim for their ability to ease symptoms of depression, SSRIs and SNRIs don’t work for everyone. 

A report from the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) in Cologne, Germany, noted that about 50% of people who took an SSRI or an SNRI experienced an improvement in their symptoms within six to eight weeks.

In other words, if these meds haven’t produced the results you’d hoped for, you are not alone. The good news is that you still have an array of other options.

From a medication perspective, atypical antidepressants, tricyclics, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are sometimes prescribed to people whose symptoms have not been alleviated by SSRIs or SNRIs.

Regardless of which type of antidepressant you take (or even if you don’t use any medication at all), therapy can also be a valuable component of treatment.

Depending on your specific circumstances, you may benefit from therapeutic services such as:

• Individual psychotherapy
• Psychiatry
• Group therapy
• Family counseling 
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Expressive arts therapy
• Red light therapy
• EMDR and other trauma therapies

Find Depression Treatment in Atlanta

Time Wellness Georgia offers personalized outpatient care to individuals whose lives have been disrupted by depression, other mental health disorders, and co-occurring addictions.

Treatment options at our center in Atlanta, GA, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), an evening IOP for adolescents, and virtual (online) care.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.